Short Course 1

“Lithionics” – On the Design of Lithium Oxides for Novel Neuromorphic Computing Functions

Jennifer Rupp
Technical University Munich

Abstract: Next generation of energy storage may largely benefit from fast Li+ ceramic electrolyte conductors to allow for safe and efficient batteries. With recent discoveries in thin film processing solid-state lithium ion conductors, such as Li-garnets and LIPON or LiSICON-based solids, have been recently considered as candidate materials not only for next-generation solid-state batteries but also for neuromorphic computing via memristors owing to the fast ionic transport in the solid-state electrolyte.

In the first part of this talk, we review various Li solid-state conductor materials and reflect on opportunities of thin film processing, being a requirement to define precisely the Lithium stoichiometries and related electronic state changes for transition metal ions, miniaturize the device, and reach high energy/information densities for neuromorphic computation via resistive switching.

In the second part, we focus on Li-film processing and controlling Lithium stoichiometries to reach fast conductive phases for Li garnets and Li titanates as solid state battery components, and memristive neuromorphic computing units. Insights on structure-phase-transport interaction and implications on performances will be exemplified for energy storage aiming high energy densities, and modulations of synaptic artificial weights through lithium induced metal-to-insulator transitions in lithium titanate memristors.